In recent years, viewing angle characteristics of a liquid crystal display device has been improved. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) liquid crystal display device. In this liquid crystal display device, alignment structures including electrode slits 101 and ribs provided on a color filter (CF) form, for example, four domains within one pixel (See FIG. 42) so as to achieve a wider viewing angle. As a similar technique, Patent Literature 2 (See FIG. 43) discloses an arrangement in which a plurality of slits (201a and 201b) are formed on a pixel electrode of each pixel.
As a technique for improving viewing angle dependence of γ characteristics of a liquid crystal display device (difference between a γ characteristic at the time when the liquid crystal display device is observed from the front and a γ characteristic at the time when the liquid crystal display device is observed obliquely), a divided-pixel system (a multipixel structure) is proposed (e.g., see Patent Literature 3). The γ characteristic here indicates gray scale dependence of a display luminance.
In the liquid crystal display device of the divided-pixel system, as shown in FIG. 44, each of sub-pixel electrodes 301a and 301b is connected to corresponding one of drain electrodes of TFTs 302a and 302b. Moreover, each of the sub-pixel electrodes 301a and 301b is provided so as to partially overlap with corresponding one of storage capacitor lines 303. This forms each storage capacitor. In the liquid crystal display device, a storage-capacitor counter voltage supplied from a storage capacitor line 303 to a storage capacitor that belongs to one sub-pixel rises after a TFT is turned off, for example. Meanwhile, a storage-capacitor counter voltage supplied from the storage capacitor line 303 to a storage capacitor that belongs to the other sub-pixel lowers after the TFT is turned off. As a result, effective voltages applied to liquid crystal layers of the two sub-pixels become different from each other. Consequently, in response to a display signal voltage supplied from a source bus line, while one sub-pixel (hereinafter, referred to as a “bright sub-pixel”) has a high luminance because a high voltage is applied to the sub-pixel electrode 301a, the other sub-pixel (hereinafter, referred to as a “dark sub-pixel”) has a low luminance because a low voltage is applied to the sub-pixel electrode 301b. This makes it possible to display two different luminances and improve viewing angle dependence of γ characteristics.
Patent Literature 1
    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaihei, No. 11-242225 (Publication Date: Sep. 7, 1999)Patent Literature 2    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaihei, No. 10-333170 (Publication Date: Dec. 18, 1998)Patent Literature 3    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2004-62146 (Publication Date: Feb. 26, 2004)Patent Literature 4    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaithe, No. 4-223428 (Publication Date: Aug. 13, 1992)Patent Literature 5    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2001-98224 (Publication Date: Apr. 10, 2001)Patent Literature 6    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaihei, No. 6-240455 (Publication Date: Aug. 30, 1994)Patent Literature 7    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukaihei, No. 10-102003 (Publication Date: Apr. 21, 1998)Non-Patent Literature 1    IDW (International Display Workshops) '03 (10th International Display Workshops) Proceedings, P617